Saturday, July 26, 2008

Rachel's Vacation

or that was the name of the show Rachel Ray was here filming in Santa Barbara. Not only did she visit Stella Mare's, but she managed to venture to the Wine Cask and Elements. So, with those destinations, we certainly knew it wasn't going to be $40 a day.Her vacation was cut a little short however, as the electricity gave the musicians grief on Friday and those of us in attendence, including Ms. Ray, we entertained with canned jazz. It was a glorious evening however, and I did pack a picnic and enjoyed the people watching and canned music listening.The only glimpses I got of Ms. Ray was her walking across the lawn with her "peeps" and camera crew and then seeing her plunk down into a big white puffy chair they had set up on a cordoned off section of Courthouse lawn....for the VIPS and wannabe VIPS. Ms. Ray is quite diminutive so I only got glimpses of the top of her dark haired head after that.Don't know when the episode will run...but stay tuned and we'll try to find out.

Horses arrived in South America during the Spanish Conquest, particularly after 1542, when the Spanish created the Viceroyalty of New Castilla. This later became the Viceroyalty of Peru, an important center of Spain's New World colonies in theeighteenth century. Once in Peru, they were used primarily for transportation and breeding stock. In the north of Peru, the vast size of sugar and cotton plantations meant that overseers needed to travel long distances, often taking days to cross the plantation. In the south of Peru, the arid deserts that separated settlementsrequired sturdy, strong horses. In both cases, smooth-gaited horses with goodendurance were required. On the other hand, Peru did not develop a livestock-based economy, and thus did not need to breed for the speed or agilitycharacteristic of stock horses.

Over time, Peruvian breeders kept the bloodlines clean and selectively bred primarily for gait, conformation, and temperament. They wanted strong, hardy animals that were comfortable to ride and easy to control. Over four centuries, their dedication to breeding only the best gaited bloodstock resulted in the modern Peruvian Paso. - wikipedia

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Pinkberry is coming to Santa Barbara

pinkberryOriginally uploaded by gezellig-girl.com.Or, as the Latte Times referred to them "the taste that launched a 1,000 parking tickets" and "crackberry."

On Huntley Drive just south of Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, a small frozen-yogurt shop is nestled between NutriBliss, the natural Viagra store, and a private home. It's called, preposterously, Pinkberry, and it has become an obsession with weight-conscious Angelenos. The yogurt itself is tangy and stiff, without the overbearing sweetness that screams artificial flavoring. And because it is the owner's own recipe, it is impossible to find elsewhere.It has been called "Crackberry" and "frozen heroin juice" by its fans and detractors because many of the college kids, television writers and well-to-do families who cheerfully queue up as many as four nights in a single week agree with food blogger Rosie O'Neill, who wrote recently: "I would get Pinkberry IV'ed into my veins if I could."... - Los Angeles Times

It will be occupying the space vacated by Jamba Juice right across from Starbucks on one side and the shopping mall for the masses, Paseo Nuevo, on the other.(Per the big ol' sign posted in the windows of said shop....)Not all think it is "swirly goodness", however....EaterLA posts that Pinkberry is leaving a bad taste in some folks mouths....Great. Just what Santa Barbara needs....more fad loving, sugar crazed LaLa-ites double parking their cars to feed their addiction.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Flickr Foto Friday

Thursday, July 17, 2008

More Smokey flavor to Northern California Wines?

We'll have to wait and see.

Now that the smoke has begun to clear from North Coast vineyards, questions are swirling about whether it will linger in the 2008 vintage.Grape growers and winemakers closest to the wildfires are concerned that the vines may absorb enough of the unsavory smoke compounds to taint the wines. ...Firefighting helicopters have been regular visitors at winery irrigation ponds, and vineyard workers have been sent home many days out of concern for their health. With the start of harvest just a few weeks away, concern is turning to the health of the grapes.

"We certainly have a concern that something could happen, but we really don't know," Sawyer said. "We're basically just waiting to see what develops."- The Press Democrat

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

FIREFIGHTERS...THANK YOU!

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Missing Jamba Juice on State Street, Downtown SB?

Starbucks is launching Vivanno, a new line of smoothies on July 15th. (Although some stores have been jumping the gun...)

Signs in at least four coffee shops in Los Angeles and Chicago said the smoothies, called "Vivanno Nourishing Blends," will hit stores on July 15. Employees at stores in New York, Washington and San Francisco also confirmed the launch of new smoothies next week.

Starbucks would not comment on it.

A Washington, D.C. store gave out samples, saying the drink will have 250 calories. - Reuters

Starbucks officials wouldn’t say anything more about the smoothies, but the in-store signs pretty much said it all, including that the drinks would come in orange-mango-banana and banana-chocolate flavors - Reuters blog

It's Slow Food Nation Weekend

up in San Francisco! What I think is really cool is the "Victory Garden" they are building right outside City Hall!

In collaboration with Victory Gardens 2008+, Slow Food Nation will herald the era of self-sufficiency through the creation of an ornamental edible garden in the heart of San Francisco’s Civic Center. Planted on the same site as the post-World War II gardens 60 years ago, the Slow Food Nation Victory Garden demonstrates the potential of a truly local agriculture practice that unites and promotes Bay Area urban gardening organizations, while producing high quality food for those in need.

Featuring a wide variety of heritage organic vegetables suited to the Bay Area microclimate, the garden displays the diversity of urban food production practices. It is a garden of communities: all food grown in the garden will be harvested and donated to those with limited access to healthy organic produce through our partnership with local food banks and meals programs. - Slow Food Nation

Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world. Today, they have over 85,000 members in 132 countries.

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Flavor of the Month: Roasted Avocado

Avocado growers have lost at least $1 million worth of fruit and about 200 acres of orchards to the Gap wildfire in Santa Barbara County, officials said Wednesday. County Agricultural Commissioner William D. Gillette said at least 233 acres of orchards have burned.

Gillette estimated the cost to replace trees, farm equipment, and irrigation lines, plus lost production until new trees bear fruit, will be $9.5 million over the next five to seven years. - Chico Enterprise Record

We already pay $5.00 a gallon for gas here. Looks like that's going to be cheap compared to 'cados in the very near future.

Mel's...A Santa Barbara libation Institution

Mel’s Lounge, a State Street institution since 1963, is closing on August 24. - SB Independent

900 square feet with a rent that was raised to $10,000 a month. Ah, that's alot of margaritas on the rocks to serve up. $10,000 a month for 900 square feet. The only thing that can afford to go in there is another stupid chain store.

Another bit of Santa Barbara has been destroyed for the "average, working folk."

A Much Need Blog

To contribute your message, please take a moment to send an email to post@thanksgapfirefighters.com. Your email’s subject will become the post title. The post queue will be processed every few hours as time allows and your message will be posted.

If you wish, you may include the following:

Name (suggest first name and last initial)Location / neighborhoodImages of any size as an attachment will be posted

A new, slightly different "dangerous fire"

Jalapenos may be the "salmonella" culprit. Not just tomatoes.

The FDA it is looking at jalapeno peppers as a possible cause of the outbreak as well as ingredients used to make salsa, such as cilantro and serrano peppers. Tomatoes continue to be investigated as well, spokeswoman Stephanie Kwisnek said. - WaPo

Meanwhile...the tomato industry has been dealt a blow....

...The U.S. tomato industry has taken a $100 million hit as restaurants temporarily dropped tomatoes from their menus, and farmers have had to plow under their fields or leave crops to rot in packinghouses.

Mexico has not calculated its losses. But Mexican growers worry they still may be under a shadow of suspicion as late as November, when greenhouses harvest their summer tomatoes.

Sinaloa grows about 40 percent of all tomatoes sent to the United States. - Chicago Sun Times

An Unsung Hero in the Time of Community Need

As the Gap Fire blazes away, taunting the efforts of the hundreds of firefighters, there is one place in town that is really going unnoticed, a little unheralded, a little unappreciated (many people in town want to bulldoze it and turn it into "highend" condos) and our community mistakenly thinks it will always be there in times of community need.

Earl Warren Showgrounds. The firefighters have established a command center there. People being evacuated are bringing their horses and large animals there. A horse show is currently being held there. Thank you, Earl Warren Showgrounds. You've been there in our time of need...and now, perhaps, the community can return the favor in your time of need.

A Santa Barbara Landmark For 50 Years...the Showgrounds also serves as a medevac site, disaster control center and animal shelter.

...While fairground facilities throughout the state receive a very small percentage of horse racing revenues to support operations, it is important to emphasize that Earl Warren Showgrounds is entirely self-supporting and receives no tax dollars whatsoever.

Fifty years, however, has taken its toll. Major improvements are needed to meet current standards and attract higher revenue horse shows. Your Help Is Needed... Earl Warren Showgrounds Foundation, a California 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation is dedicated to restoring and expanding a treasured tradition that has served the Santa Barbara community for many years. We wish to thank and recognize all who have contributed in the past.

The Showgrounds have continually been there to support the emergency needs of the Santa Barbara County community...now...it's time the community return the favor.

Call the Showgrounds. 687-0766. Pledge a little money along with your "thanks."

Happy 4th of July!

Thursday, July 03, 2008

surreal sunset brought to you by the gap fire

The power is going in and out. The breeze is going in and out. I'm not in immediate danger, but I've lived through too many fires here to actually believe that everything is A-OK.

Instead of spending money to go to a fireworks show, I'm going tomorrow to buy some good stuff from Trader Joe's and taking it to the Firefighters who are fighting to protect our community on July 4th. Hope y'all share a little love to your firefighters tomorrow, too.

The Gap Fire

A Comment on edhat says it all....

Here's what the Grand Jury had to say about radio and television as sources of emergency information:

Santa Barbara County has no single designated 24-hour radio station that residents can tune to for accurate updated emergency information. In contrast, the County of Ventura has an agreement with one designated radio station to act as its primary source of emergency information for the general public. A hotline has been installed in the Ventura County Emergency Operations Center that goes directly to the radio station, providing fast broadcast of updated and accurate information to its residents.

Santa Barbara County’s local media networks have been consolidated or purchased by large outside network companies, many of which use prerecorded broadcasting and have reduced or no staff on duty during most of the 24-hour day. Often County emergency public information personnel at the scene of an event will send out an emergency news alert to the news media which may result in limited or no response. This adversely affects the ability of emergency personnel to notify the general public of major events affecting them and increases the anxiety and confusion of the public. Events like the La Conchita earth-slide and the 2005 Gaviota fire were examples of this problem. The public was uninformed and confused due to the lack of timely and accurate information about evacuations and highway closures.

The Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Services (OES) and emergency public information personnel need to work with representatives of our local broadcasting networks to develop a system of emergency notification and response that will allow vital information to flow rapidly from an event to the general public. The OES should establish an agreement with a local or out-of-county radio or television station that will act as our County’s designated station to provide emergency information 24 hours a day. This will require exploring new and innovative approaches to gathering and delivering information to the public utilizing our local media or even media outside our County.

These improvements should be joined with an aggressive public education program making residents aware of where to tune to in an emergency. --------------- If Ventura can do it, why can't we?

Call your Congresscritters and the FCC. It's time for low frequency, neighborhood "NON CORPORATIZED" radio to be made available in emergencies. You know...sometimes information should trump "entertainment"... safety over superficiality especially in time of wildfire, hurricanes and floods.

I'm on the Big Sur Volunteer Fire Brigade and we've been working hard with the huge force here to keep our friends' and neighbors' houses from burning down. The air support alone has been spectacular and effective -- in the last 48 hours an Air Guard C-130 with a retardant pod, two four-engined bombers (turboprop P-3 Orion airframes), a couple of two-engined bombers and a couple of twin-engined spotter craft. Add to that [helicopters like] a civilian Chinook, a big-ass old Sikorsky and a bunch of Hueys hauling 1,000 gal buckets from the ocean or from ponds up to the fire lines. Fire Camp alone is three times bigger than any movie location I've ever seen (though not as huge as the moderate-sized military exercise they were ginning up for at Ft. Hunter-Liggett, just as we finished up fire school in early June).

Santa Barbara needs new fire abatement contractors

...“Goats herd better. They eat the problem and can work all day, until sunset. They don’t get poison ivy; they eat it,” according to Hugh Bunten, who with his wife, Sarah, owns Nanny & Billy’s vegetation management company of Lakeview, Ore. “By using goats, raking, hauling and dumping debris is not required, which saves money,” continues Hugh Bunten pointing out several benefits of the goat method of weed abatement.

However, one of Caltrans’ hired “contractors,” Toby, the goat, was complaining and took the day off. “Toby is having a bad day. He really preferred his previous job eating on the Getty Museum’s hillside. He’s one of our more picky eaters,” says Hugh Bunten. - CalTrans

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Santa Barbaras on fire....yet again

Flames and smoke have been visible throughout the Santa Barbara metropolitan area as the blaze moves toward the canyons above western Goleta. Helicopters and air tankers were active early in the evening, but were called off when the skies darkened with night. There was an early threat to Windermere Ranch, but firefighters were able to protect the structures there. About 200 firefighters are currently battling the blaze, which is being called the Gap Fire and has burned about 50 acres so far.

The Spirit(s) of Giving

The Great Spirits Baking Company! We specialize in all natural, extraordinarily rich and moist, spirits-infused Mini Bundt Cakes. Each cake is handcrafted from scratch with the finest ingredients and extravagantly soaked in exquisite premium liqueurs. Choose from decadent double dark chocolate chunk; luscious buttered rum raisin; and elegant orange almond – all irresistible as a very sinful, sumptuous self-indulgence or the perfect gift.

Oooohhhh....pour me a slice. And to double up the goodness, they are donating 50% of all their online baked goods sales during July to Share Our Strength (their official charity) through the Great American Bake Sale.

Great Spirits ups their environmental goodness, too.

The Great Spirits Baking Company was recently honored with a prestigious Excellence Award for its packaging by the National Paperboard Packaging Competition.

...Curtis Packaging manufactures our iconic black boxes and has a long, distinguished history of winning awards for its work. Today, Curtis Packaging is one of the first printing and packaging companies in North America to be: Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, use 100% renewable energy, and be 100% Carbon Neutral. The majority of Curtis’ renewable energy mix is sourced through wind power, with about 30% of the purchase a blend of renewable sources including locally generated wind and hydrolics.

...The outer black signature boxes that Curtis produces for The Great Spirits Baking Company are manufactured using only wind power and are 100% recyclable.